Katie Goes Camping
by jareya
Summary: Mac and Harm's sheltered daughter goes off to summer camp, and learns some life lessons. This story is in the same universe as the 'Brownies & Surprises' stories, but can be read alone.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note_: This story will have seven or eight chapters, but it's already all written, so a chapter will be posted every couple of days. As always, your reviews are welcome and very much appreciated!

Katie was nervous and excited, anxious and exhilarated, scared and thrilled. Adjusting her backpack, she took a lingering look at the two people sitting in the car. Those two people, a man and a woman, had already taken a long walk around the campsite (which turned out to be more like a thorough inspection), asked the staff endless questions (which were borne with enormous patience and grace), and exchanged long hugs and goodbyes with their daughter. That daughter, Katie (Katya to everyone but close family and friends), was more than ready for her parents to drive off, leaving her behind.

She tried to reassure them. 'Don't worry, you guys,' she said, leaning down to meet their eyes over the top of a rolled-down window, 'I'll be fine.'

The man and woman in the car were trying their best to look calm and unflustered, even though it was a momentous occasion for them. It was the first time their only daughter would be away from home on her own for more than a night or two… and with strangers, not trusted and capable loved ones.

'Remember everything we talked about,' the woman said.

'Yeah,' the man agreed, 'be careful – I know what those artsy types were like back when I was in high school, and – .'

Katie rolled her eyes as she cut in. 'Hey, I'm an "artsy type" too, Daddy, remember? Besides, it's not the seventies anymore. We're not exactly free lovin' hippies.'

Her parents laughed, just as Katie had intended them too. But still there was no move from either of them to say that final goodbye. Katie realized she was going to have to adopt the direct approach.

'Okay guys, I love you, but I am starting to look seriously uncool here. All the other parents are gone. The other kids are going to think I'm a big baby. And I need to finish registration.'

As if on cue, Lisa Jacobsen, the camp director, came towards the car. A brisk, petite woman in her forties, she had been watching Katya and her parents out of the corner of her eye for the past half hour, while running around sorting out the million-and-one things that _always _go wrong on the first day of camp. She had seen this scene many times over – reluctant parents stalling for time before leaving their kids. This was the fourteenth anniversary of the annual camp she ran for arts-inclined teens – and every year this scene was replayed by over-anxious parents. She figured it was time for an intervention.

'Excuse me,' Lisa said to Mac and Harm, 'but I'm going to have to steal Katya away now,' Lisa said. 'Registration is almost over, and we have a full evening of activities planned.'

A grateful Katie waved a final goodbye to her parents, and blew them kisses before turning around and hurrying toward the huge tent where the other teens were already assembled.

Lisa turned to Mac and Harm. 'Hey, I know it's a tall order, but try not to worry. I promise you we'll take good care of her. And if there's any cause for concern at all –'

'Did I remember to give you both our cell numbers?' Mac interjected, anxiously.

'Yes,' Lisa replied, patiently, 'along with your office numbers, your home numbers, your doctor's numbers, your neighbor's number…. You covered all the bases and then some, Mac. Now I've got to go – I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks.'

Mac laughed. 'Thanks Lisa, and we're sorry for being the over-protective parents from hell.'

Lisa smiled, her kind, perceptive brown eyes crinkling at the corners. 'Believe me, I understand completely. I've been there.'

After Lisa left, Mac and Harm sat quietly in the car for a long moment, breathing in the balmy summer air, each lost in their own thoughts.

'We're doing the right thing,' Harm said softly, almost as if he was talking to himself.

'Are we?' Mac responded.

'I don't know,' Harm rejoined, 'but I know one thing – I didn't think it would be this hard to leave her here.'

'It's just two weeks,' Mac reminded him, trying to comfort both her husband and herself. 'She'll be back home before we know it. She needs this – it's time for her to spread her wings a little. And we need it too – I hate to admit it, but we've sheltered her way too much. We used her past experience as an excuse to fuss over her to the point where it's becoming unhealthy. She's sixteen – a bona fide young woman, and other than vacations or visits to Mattie and the Roberts, she's never really been away from home. We need a break from her just as much as she needs one from us.'

'You're right… doesn't make it any easier though. Did you see how happy she was to go?' Harm asked, his voice tinged with laughter.

'Yeah,' Mac responded, laughing as well, 'here we are a couple of basket cases, and she skips off into the sunset without a care in the world.'

She leaned closer to her husband, resting her head on his shoulder and pulling her arm through his, and she sighed. 'I just hope nothing goes wrong here.'

'Nothing will,' Harm responded. 'Lisa and the rest of the staff know what they're doing. The place is pretty secure. It's one the most respected programs of its kind in the country – we're just lucky that Lisa liked Katie's work enough to accept her. We've done all the research we could possibly do, Mac – we've checked and re-checked everything over and over, and now we just have to go home and hope for the best. I think Katie's going to have a great couple of weeks.'

'We, on the other hand, are going to have a terrible couple of weeks, worrying about her nonstop,' Mac responded with another deep sigh. 'Let's get out of here – we don't want her to be known as the girl with the extremely clingy parents.'

Mac was wrong, though. Inside the tent, she and Harm were indeed the topic of conversation – but not for their clinginess.

Carmen Jackson, a willowy blonde with striking green eyes and a winning smile, had barely introduced herself to Katie when she launched into a detailed dissertation on the subject of Katie's parents.

'Oh my gosh, they're gorgeous! Are they actors?'

Katie laughed. 'No – although my dad did do a TV commercial once. He's in the Navy, and my mom's in the Marine Corps.'

'Oh wow, how cool is that?! Your dad is dreamy… and your mom is stunning. Do you have any brothers and sisters?'

'Two brothers – one older and one younger.'

'Ooh – tell me about the older one – do you have a picture?'

Katie laughed, taking her little pink wallet out of her pocket. When she showed Carmen the well-worn family picture tucked into it, the reaction was predictable.

'Oh my gosh, he's so hot! Why isn't he here too?'

'He's not very "arts-inclined". He's in college and he's going to be a surgeon someday. He's really smart,' Katie replied, smiling fondly at the thought of Jack.

'Beauty _and_ brains, huh?' Carmen said, fanning herself with one hand. 'Does he drive?'

'Yes – why?' Katie asked, surprised by the question.

'Because, my new, pretty friend,' Carmen said, pulling an arm through one of Katie's, 'much as I enjoyed looking at your gorgeous parents today, I am hoping you can persuade your gorgeous big brother to come pick you up on the last day of camp!'


	2. Chapter 2

_**Four days later…. **_

On Day 5 of camp, Katie awoke before the sun was up. She was disoriented by her unfamiliar surroundings for a moment, but then smiled to herself as she stretched and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Camp was turning out to be even better than she'd expected. It was inspiring to spend time with other people who shared her passions. The activities were fun and challenging, and with the encouragement of the coaches and other campers, she was starting to believe that her work really was good. It was something people had always said to her, but she was realizing now, at this camp, that she hadn't fully believed it. Now she did… she was changing.

She was changing in other ways too. Shane, the young, charming, Australian-born drama coach, had captured her attention. He was tall, dark and powerfully built, with an easy confidence and a great sense of humor. He was patient and kind with all the kids, even the shyest ones, and his sessions were definitely the most fun and interesting. Practically all the girls in camp had crushes on him, but Katie had caught him looking at her a couple of times. _Maybe he likes me_, she thought to herself for the hundredth time, _or maybe not_.

Katie sighed to herself. In her secret fantasies, on the last day of camp, just before everyone said goodbye, Shane would pull her aside and acknowledge to her that his innate sense of honor and responsibility had kept him from telling her how he felt about her. They would confess their secret love for each other, and would promise to stay in touch. They would date for a couple of years, and then they'd get married. They would have great careers in the arts – she as a painter, he as an actor – and later, they would start a successful academy for young artists. They would also have three adorable children, named Sarah, Christopher and Michele – with one 'L', not two. She shook her head and laughed to herself… her daydreams about Shane were ridiculously detailed.

But being at Camp Lilia was making her start to believe that dreams really did come true. _After all_, Katie thought to herself, _being here was a dream in itself_. She thought back over the sequence of events that that had led her to Camp Lilia.

_**A year earlier….**_

Katie was in her room, sitting cross-legged on her bed and struggling over math, when her mom knocked on the door.

'Hey Katie, how's it going?'

'Hey Mommy, you're home… I don't know, I'm so confused – I think I'm going to need some help.'

'Sure, but take a break for a minute… I brought someone home for you to meet. She's downstairs with Jack.'

Katie sighed. She always dreaded meeting new people – it was uncomfortable and awkward. She'd always been shy, and it seemed she was only getting more shy and self-conscious with the passage of time.

Mac walked over to sit beside her daughter. 'You'll like her. She's an old friend of mine from law school – we got along really great back then, but we sort of lost touch over the years – at first, anyway. I bumped into her again some years ago; we started exchanging emails and phone calls, and we really reconnected. Then she moved closer to us a couple of months ago, and we've met for a meal or a coffee a few times since she arrived. We followed totally different career paths, but we still have so much in common. It's actually almost uncanny.'

'That's great,' Katie replied half-heartedly, forcing herself to her feet and steeling herself for another awkward encounter.

'Ever heard of Lisa Jacobsen?' Mac asked.

Katie rolled her eyes. 'Of course – she's only one of the most respected stage directors in the country! Her productions of "Revelry" and "Tap Street" are legendary. And even before she started directing, she designed the most amazing, atmospheric sets.' Her blue eyes lit up suddenly. 'Wait a minute, does your friend know Lisa Jacobsen?' Katie suddenly realized that she would happily try to overcome her crippling shyness, if it would mean the opportunity to talk to someone who knew such an icon personally. Her face fell when her mother shook her head.

'No, honey,' Mac replied, her eyes dancing with humor, 'my friend _is _Lisa Jacobsen.'

Katie leaped out of bed, squealing and stammering all at once. 'Y-y-you went to law school with Lisa Jacobsen? I didn't know she was ever a lawyer… oh my gosh, she's – she's d-d-downstairs?! Here?'

Mac nodded. 'Uh huh. So… do you want to meet her?'

'_Do I want to meet her?!_' Mac barely had time to blink before Katie rushed headlong down the stairs.

Katie and Lisa hit it off even better than Mac had hoped, with Lisa informally adopting the role of mentor to Katie, while forging a close friendship with Mac. The fact that Lisa could speak passable Russian strengthened the bond between Lisa and Katie even further. Hoping to help them hold on to at least some of their Russian, Mac and Harm had sought opportunities to enhance Jack and Katie's bilingual abilities over the years. Mac frequently spoke Russian to them at home, and sometimes the family went to Russian cultural events together.

One day a few months later, Mac and Katie were visiting Lisa at her chic loft when Katie shyly asked where Lisa had acquired her Russian skills.

'It's a long story,' Lisa responded. 'After law school, I realized that going to law school had been a big mistake. I did it because my parents wanted me to – my dad was this big-shot attorney and desperately wanted me to work with him at his firm. But it just wasn't for me. I was obsessed with the stage; I knew that I wanted to work in theater… and at that point I also really wanted to get away from my disappointed parents. I was young and ambitious, and I wanted to follow my dreams. So I moved to New York. I met this amazing dancer from Russia named Mikhail, and fell madly in love.'

Katie let out a small sigh – to her, it sounded like the sort of thing that only happened in movies.

Lisa gave her a wry look. 'Oh, I know it all sounds wildly romantic, but it was also tough. We were poor at first – I refused to accept offers of help from my dad – especially since they inevitably came with strings attached… it was always "I'll help you out if you'll come home". Mikhail was a talented dancer, but he wasn't earning a whole lot of money, and neither was I… I was working behind the scenes for peanuts.'

Lisa laughed to herself. 'And we literally lived on peanuts as well… I remember one week, we were out of cash, and all we had in our tiny apartment was this old jar of peanut butter and some crackers. We lived on that – and whatever free food we could grab at work – until I got my next paycheck. "Thank God I'm a dancer," Mikhail used to say, "being broke and hungry keeps me light on my feet." It was really hard for a long time, but at least we had each other.'

'So Mikhail taught you Russian?' Katie asked.

Lisa nodded. 'Yep – his English was terrible when we met, so it was only natural, I guess – we could only do so much communicating with our eyes and our… uh, well, with our eyes. Anyway, I helped him improve his English, and he taught me some Russian. And when we started earning more money, I started taking language classes as well. It was important to me to learn more about Mikhail's cultural background, and I have a natural affinity for languages. So, anyway – that's how I learned Russian. I never achieved total fluency, but I get by.'

'What happened to Mikhail?' Katie asked. She had always assumed that Lisa was single – there were no family photos in her flat, and she'd never spoken of a partner, or any other family for that matter.

Mac interjected, 'Katie –'

Lisa shook her head. 'No, it's okay Mac… like we discussed, Katie's old enough to understand, and I don't mind talking about it. Mikhail and I were together for a long time. As you know, I slowly came up through the ranks in theater and eventually got the opportunity to direct – thanks to sheer determination and a little bit of luck. When injury ended his dance career early, Mikhail started teaching dance at home. We wanted a baby, and with Mikhail home most of the time, we thought the timing was finally perfect, but… it didn't happen for us. Eventually, we decided to adopt a baby from Russia.'

'Just like me and Jack,' Katie whispered.

'Just like you and Jack.' Lisa affirmed. 'But our story had a sad ending. Lilia was a lovely girl, but she had… a lot of problems. She had been through a lot, and she just… had a very hard time, in ways I can't get into right now. She was very depressed, very troubled, and it seemed like nothing we did helped. Mikhail and I tried our best to help her, but… we lost her after a drug overdose. She was only fourteen.'

Katie gasped in shock, tears springing to her eyes, as Lisa continued her tale.

'Mikhail and I… we drifted apart and split up. There were no hard feelings when it ended, it just didn't work out. He remarried eventually, had a couple of kids. Sadly, he died a couple of years ago – cancer.'

'That's so sad,' Katie mumbled.

'Yes,' Lisa replied with a sad smile, 'I have beautiful memories of him, though – and of my daughter. After we lost her, our lives just sort of fell apart… my work, much as I'd always loved it, didn't fulfill me anymore. It was just… a very dark, lonely and devastating time. I started seeing a therapist, and that helped, but I still felt… hollow. Then a friend talked to me about volunteering at my local Y. It was the last thing I wanted to do… I knew that seeing all those bright, young faces would only remind me of what we'd lost. But my friend wouldn't give up – she kept telling me about how helping young people had changed her life and helped her through some of her own problems. After some months of saying "No", I finally decided to give it a try.'

Lisa sighed heavily. 'The first few times, I would leave the Y and just manage to stumble to my car before bursting into floods of tears. But after a while, it was like I slowly came alive again. In many ways, teaching young people helped me get my life back, and my career back on track. After some training and research, I started the Lilia Zhukov Arts Foundation, in our daughter's memory. Our goal is to help young artists of all kinds, and from all backgrounds, to develop their skills and achieve their goals. We give scholarships and work closely with schools.'

Watching Katie closely, Mac saw her daughter lean forward in keen interest – with Katie's love for the arts, she knew the idea of the foundation would appeal to her.

Lisa went on. 'Once a year, we hold a summer camp – called Camp Lilia – for teenagers with talents in the arts – whether it's dance or music or drama or visual media. We take a special interest in teenagers who have never participated in similar programs or classes. I have an amazing team of experts – the camp usually lasts just two weeks, and I never take on more than thirty teens because it's so important to me that each kid gets lots of personal attention, but in those two weeks we really try to inspire young people.'

'It sounds amazing,' Katie said.

'I think so. It's all down to my team. We prepare for each camp intensively, and we really pour our hearts and souls into it, to tailor it to the needs of each set of kids. The program is always in high demand….'

Lisa darted a quick look at Mac, and when Mac nodded, she continued, '… which is why I've been talking to your parents about the next edition. It's still some months away, but they want you to take part. The artwork you've shared with me is very special… it's remarkable for someone so young, and you really deserve to be encouraged and to learn more. It's been a pleasure getting to know you Katie, you're an extraordinary young lady, and I want to see you attain your fullest potential, whatever you decide to do.'

Katie was amazed – and overjoyed. She had talked to her parents a few times in the past about attending summer camps, but the speed which they'd shut her down had discouraged her. 'No way,' her father would intone. 'You're too young,' her mother would chime in. And that would be that. Now she would get the chance to go to camp, _and_ to be around other people who really understood her passions.

_**Back to the present**_

The morning bell hadn't been rung yet, so Katie stayed in bed, listening to the peaceful stillness of the morning, the call of the birds, the rustle of the trees. She loved the sounds of nature, and she was thrilled to know that she still had a few more days to savor at Camp Lilia. This camp experience was opening her eyes to vista of new possibilities, and she was grateful… and excited.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to all the reviewers for reading and sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it sooo much. Here's Chapter 3._

_Six days later…._

It was Day 11 of camp, a couple of days before it would all come to an end. Katie's mood had shifted from joy and exhilaration to frustration. She had come to the galling realization that even here, among people who shared the same interests, she still hadn't found complete acceptance. _If I don't fit in here_, she thought to herself, _where on earth _do_ I fit in_?

Katie had made a few good friends at Camp Lilia – Carmen, who befriended her on Day 1, was still her best friend in the bunch, but she'd also made friends with some of the other teens. Things were going well until Katie had started to notice things… whispered conversations that seemed to stop when she got closer, catty comments (usually about people "thinking they were better than everyone else") that always seemed to be made when she was around, glares and stares that seemed to her to be just a little resentful. The main culprits were Reese and Christine, two popular, pretty girls with acting aspirations. Some other kids made a snarky comment here and there, but Reese and Christine's attitude towards her seemed particularly critical and cutting.

It was not Katie's first experience of bullying, of course. She knew what it felt like to be picked on, to be different; but she just never thought it would happen here. She had just assumed that these kids with whom she had so much in common would instantly accept her. Being picked on at Camp Lilia was not something she'd been concerned about. She'd worried about being liked, but not being picked on. She voiced her concerns to Carmen one day at lunch.

'Hmm,' Carmen responded, 'I wish I could say I haven't noticed it. But you're right, there definitely is some cattiness going on with Reese and Christine. I will say though, that it's mostly jealousy. You're really pretty, you're sweet, and you're so good at almost everything – you can act, you can sing, you can paint. They're just threatened by you.'

Katie sighed sadly. 'I don't think that's it. I think they just don't like me.'

Carmen shook her head. 'Trust me, it's the good ol' green-eyed monster. I know what I'm talking about. But forget them,' Carmen continued with a smile, '_I_ like you – a lot! And I'll like you even more – in fact, I'll _love_ you – when you introduce me to your big brother in a couple of days.'

Katie giggled. 'I already told you – he's not coming. He's busy Friday.'

'What was that you just said, Katya? I can't hear you,' Carmen responded comically, and both girls dissolved into laughter, Katie momentarily forgetting her worries.

Katie's good mood was not destined to last very long, though. At the drama class later that afternoon, Shane spoke to the twelve teens taking the class about respecting one another's work.

'People like to say that teenagers haven't experienced much – and they're right, most teenagers still have a lot of living to do.' The kids groaned and rolled their eyes. 'Calm down guys, I'm on your side. You may not have lots of life experience behind you, but what you do have is very strong emotions and opinions, and that's what you should try to harness and channel through your acting, but in a disciplined way.'

Shane continued. 'As always, it's vital that we maintain an atmosphere of trust, acceptance and open communication here. Respect one another's privacy, support one another, don't judge. Remember, to be a good actor, you have to acknowledge your prejudices – then set them aside and be true to your character.'

The teens were placed in random groups of three or four for the class, and given short, simple scripts to work on for half an hour, after which each team would perform their scenes. To her surprise and dismay, Katie was placed with Christine and Reese. She tried to muster a smile as the other two members of her team walked towards her, clutching their scripts.

'Hey Katya,' Reese said, with a big smile, 'I'm really excited to be working with you. I think you're really talented.'

Katie blushed and looked away as she stammered out her thanks; she still wasn't used to receiving compliments. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, she thought. In that moment, she missed the triumphant look the other two girls exchanged.

After taking a few minutes to read through their script separately, Katie and her team-mates reunited to discuss their approach.

'I really like these scenes,' Christine began. 'Aisha's character is going through a difficult time, and in each scene Rodrigo and Erica are trying to help her, but in different ways… Erica is trying to use laughter to distract Aisha, but Rodrigo is trying to help her confront her problems and change things herself.'

Katie and Reese nodded. 'That sums it up nicely,' Reese said, 'but the one problem is that we're three girls, and Rodrigo's a boy.'

Christine shrugged. 'Shane knows that. I guess that's part of the challenge. One of us could easily play Rodrigo, right?'

Katie and Reese nodded again.

'I'd like to play Aisha,' Reese volunteered, 'It would be a good challenge for me to try and get into her head. She's misunderstood, and she says right here that her mom barks orders at her like a drill sergeant. Things are totally different for me at home, so it would be a good stretch for me.'

Christine rolled her eyes in disgust. 'I just don't get why some parents act that way. I have a friend at school whose dad is in the army. He is so mean, he treats his kids like his own personal platoon – and just as soon as they were old enough, he basically bullied them into joining the army too.'

Reese gasped. 'That is just so… stupid. Why would anyone want their children to sign up to go get blown up or shot in some godforsaken foreign country, because of some ridiculous political dispute? They risk their lives on the orders of rich politicians, and for what? It's bad enough that your friend's dad probably wasted his own career, and the best years of his life, on some misguided ideals… why on earth would he want his kids to do the same thing?' She turned to Katie. 'What do you think, Katya? You've been very quiet.'

Katie took a deep breath. It wasn't the first time she had heard views like these, of course, and her parents had always taught her to respect other people's opinions, but for some reason, Reese's words really stung. She couldn't help feeling that there was something personal and unpleasant beneath the social commentary. 'I think we need to get back to the script… we're running out of time. I'll play Rodrigo, if that's okay with you, Christine.'

Christine giggled. 'Oh, that's more than okay with me. I have no interest in playing a boy. Eww. I'll play Erica – I need to work on my comic timing, so the role is perfect for me. So, why does the character of Rodrigo appeal to you, Katya?'

Katie shrugged. 'Like you said, playing a guy is a challenge. And he's an interesting character.'

Reese smirked. 'Oh, okay. I thought it might have something to do with the fact that he's a poor Mexican immigrant hoping to achieve "the American Dream".'

Christine laughed scornfully. 'Yeah, but since he's such a pretentious, self-righteous character who probably thinks he's better than he actually is, he doesn't have a chance in hell of making that happen, does he?'

Katie gasped in shock. There was no question in her mind now that the other girls were out to draw blood.

Reese waited a beat, and then spoke up. 'Well, not unless he's got some nice American "family" waiting in the wings to give him a boost. But hey, we're running out of time here. Now that we've established who's playing who, let's rehearse. We have just,' and here she consulted her watch, 'fifteen minutes left'.

Katie had a confusing mixture of emotions coursing through her. She felt humiliated, sad and angry all at once. She wanted to cry, but instead she gritted her teeth and tried to pretend the other girls' cutting words hadn't made an impact on her. She shrugged and nodded, trying to appear nonchalant, and the three girls began their rehearsal. Katie stood to the side while Reese and Christine took their places in chairs and began their scene.

'Hey Aisha,' Christine began.

Reese sighed. 'Hey.'

'Are you okay? You look sad.'

'It's my mom. She's so mean. I asked her if I could go to the dance this weekend, and she said no.'

'Really? Why?'

'Something about my grades… she actually thinks grounding me for two whole weeks is a fair punishment for the "crime" of flunking one class.'

'Aww, she's way too harsh.'

'You're telling me! She yells at me all the time, like some kind of drill sergeant. She keeps telling me she knows what's best for me.'

'Parents always say that.'

'Yeah, but my mom is something else… and she keeps comparing me to my sister, Jasmine… you know, the one who rats me out all the time and never gets in trouble because she does everything right.'

'That sucks. Well at least it's not your senior prom or anything. The fall dance is usually pretty boring anyway. Wanna hear something really funny? I –'

Reese interrupted Christine's lines, going completely off-script. 'No, I don't want to hear a joke right now. I want to talk about my sister, little Ms. Perfect, who does nothing wrong. She gets everything she asks for, and all I get is a hard time. I want to talk about frustrating it is to live with this girl who thinks she's so damned perfect, just because she's pretty and blonde and does everything right. She feeds the hungry, she takes care of the sick, she sings, she paints, she can do it all.'

Reese paused to catch her breath after her tirade. Looking a little unsure of how to proceed, Christine spoke up. 'Uh, I feel your pain. I hate it when people act like they're better than everyone else.'

'Exactly. And when they get special treatment, it's even more nauseating,' Reese continued, her eyes flashing with anger and resentment, 'especially because they're getting it just because someone took pity on them and decided to lend them a helping hand, like they were a beggar in the street. Maybe they should've been left in the street to die. It would be better than living off someone else's charity.'

At this point, Katie couldn't take it any longer – she had to stay something. 'Hey guys, I know Shane encourages us to ad lib, but you've both gone way off the script. Maybe we should move to the next –'

But Reese was too angry to stop now. 'What do you know about it? You're not Shane, you don't get to coach us. Quit butting in, this isn't even your scene. Gosh, I hate the way you go around acting like some kind of paragon of virtue, acting like you know everything about everything. Hey, newsflash – you're no better than anyone else here, Katya! You are nothing but a miserable orphan. Where would you be if two misguided people hadn't ignored all the kids in _this_ country that need parents, and gone off to some godforsaken –'

At that moment, Shane called out Reese's name, a note of warning in his voice. The girls snapped their heads around, surprised to see him standing only a couple of feet away. They realized belatedly that in his approach, he'd probably heard most of what they'd said. As it dawned on them that they'd been caught out, Reese looked defiant, while Christine looked more subdued.

Before Shane could say anything else, a pale, trembling Katie turned back to Reese and Christine and spoke up. 'You two think you know me. You think you know all about my life, you think you know how I got here. You even think you know my parents.' She laughed, and her laughter was ironic. 'You uncovered a few facts and went around making up your own neat little theories and trying to put me down every chance you got. That's okay, that's just what bullies and gossips do… they're weak, and they know it, so they try to make other people look bad so that they can feel better about themselves.' She paused for a moment, looking the other girls in the eye. Christine looked down, and even Reese looked away for a second.

Katie continued. 'You crossed the line when you talked about my parents. I won't let anyone talk about my mom and dad like that. You don't know them – you have _no idea_ who they are and what they've done with their lives. And if I tried to tell you, I know you wouldn't understand, because you're shallow, and selfish, and petty. You have no concept of the things in life that are true, real, deep and lasting. I actually pity you, because you just don't know any better. I hope you get it someday, but until then, I promise that if you ever say anything about the people I love again, I'll make you regret it.'

'Katya, that's enough –,' Shane cut in, but Katie had already turned around and was walking away, ignoring Shane's attempts to call her back.


	4. Chapter 4

_I **really** appreciate your reviews! Thank you all so much! Okay, with this chapter we are about halfway through..._

Katie still felt shell-shocked. She had been sitting in her bunk, staring into space, for over an hour since the incident in drama class, and she still didn't have a clue what to do. Part of her just wanted to go home and get away from the awful kids who had judged her so harshly just for being who she was. But she kept picturing the disappointment in her parents' faces… they probably thought she having a great time at camp, and they would be so hurt if they found out that the reality was so different. And she would be disappointed in herself for giving up.

She was still sitting there when Zuleikha, one of the camp counselors, approached her.

'Hi Katya.'

'Hey,' she replied numbly. The day's classes and activities were over, and the other campers were outside for sports hour. She realized that Zuleikha had probably noticed she was absent, and would try to get her to join the others. She wasn't ready to do that just yet. 'Zul, I –'

'Yes?' Zuleikha prompted, softly.

'I don't feel like going outside right now.'

Zuleikha looked surprised. 'That's perfectly understandable, Katya. That's not why I'm here. Shane told me what happened in drama class. I came to find out if you're okay.'

Katie nodded silently.

'Are you sure?' Zuleikha asked with concern. 'Talk to me, tell me how you're feeling.'

'I'm just… sad, I guess. I thought I would get along with everyone here.'

Zuleikha nodded. 'I'm sorry, Katya.'

'I can't even figure out how they know about my parents and… stuff. I've only told Carmen.'

'It turns out there's a story behind that – a pretty ugly one, actually,' Zuleikha said with a sigh. 'Basically, they've confessed that they snuck into Lisa's office a few days ago and read your file.'

Katie gasped. 'Why would they do that?'

Zuleikha shook her head. 'We're still shocked.'

'Are they… are they going to be punished?'

'They'll be leaving tomorrow.'

Katie gasped again and shook her head. She couldn't help feeling guilty. 'I never wanted to get anyone in trouble'.

Zuleikha's voice was still soft, but firm. 'You haven't. They got themselves in trouble. Carmen says this has been going on for a while from Reese and Christine, and that's unacceptable. And reading your file was a serious invasion of your privacy. This is supposed to be a safe, supportive environment.'

Katie still looked troubled. Zuleikha took her hand. 'This is not your fault, Katya. You were the one who was wronged here.' She paused; then continued. 'Lisa would like to see you in her office. Will you come with me?'

Katie nodded and rose to her feet.

When they entered her office, Lisa was sitting at her desk, looking serious and strained. Zuleikha gave Katie an encouraging smile, then left the room.

'Katie, take a seat… Shane told me what happened.'

'I'm sorry I walked out of the class like that. I just – I couldn't take it anymore.'

Lisa smiled sadly. 'This experience isn't quite what you were hoping for, is it?'

Katie sighed and closed her eyes. 'I'm sorry, Lisa,' she repeated, 'I guess it was a mistake to give me a place here.'

Lisa put a hand on Katie's arm. 'Look at me, Katie,' she said, and when Katie opened her eyes, she looked into them as she continued speaking. 'It wasn't a mistake. You're every bit as talented as any of the other kids here. You absolutely deserve to be here.'

Katie shrugged wryly. 'Well, not everyone thinks so.'

'The unfortunate truth,' Lisa said, 'is that not everyone is going to appreciate you for who you are. Some of them will genuinely want something different from what you can offer, some will be jealous; some will just be nasty, negative people. Some will have deep-seated issues and will try to hurt _you_ for something some else did to them in the past. In this case, it's probably a combination of more than one of those things. But always remember that if someone attacks you unjustly, it's not about you. It is about them. What matters is what _you_ believe. If you know deep in your heart that you're on the right path, don't let anything stop you. Use even the negativity to propel yourself forward.' She shook her head. 'I'm sorry about what happened in there.'

'I'm sorry too. I never thought anyone would be so… mad at me for being adopted. That's never happened before.'

'None of this is your fault, Katie. Did Zuleikha tell you what happened with your file?'

Katie nodded in confirmation. 'She also said Reese and Christine are going home tomorrow.'

'First of all, I have to apologize to you. I take absolute responsibility for not ensuring that all the files are secure at all times. I've fixed that already. I'm sorry.'

'Thanks, but it's not your fault, Lisa,' Katie replied. 'I – I understand why you're sending Reese and Christine home…. But… I feel like I should be the one to go. I'm the one they have a problem with. _I'm_ the one who doesn't really fit in.'

Lisa shook her head. 'No way, Katie… do you _want _to go home?'

'No,' Katie admitted, after a long moment. 'I was learning so much and having a great time until the catty comments started.'

'Okay,' Lisa replied, 'once I'm done talking to you, I'm going to call your parents and tell them what happened. If they want to talk to you about going home after that, then that's their choice. But I'm not sending you home for other people's mistakes. What Reese and Christine did was very serious. We have rules, and I have to enforce them. And I probably shouldn't tell you this, but… I considered giving them a chance – if they were both willing to make a sincere apology and change their behavior, I was thinking of letting them stay until the end of camp. But they both want to leave – they called their parents themselves.'

Lisa paused and took a deep breath before going on. 'I'm going to tell you something else, Katie – but only because I want you to look back at this day as a victory.'

'A victory,' Katie echoed, confused.

'Yes, and I'll tell you why. But when I tell you, you can't be mad at your parents.'

'Uh oh. What did they do?' Katie asked.

'Your mother and I confide in each other. We have for a long time. Did she tell you that we lost touch after law school and then reunited years later?'

Katie nodded, and Lisa went on. 'Yeah, we bumped into each other randomly at a park in DC. I was in DC for a meeting and decided to take a walk there on a whim. She was meeting your dad there.' Lisa smiled. 'It was their anniversary, and they were going to have a packed lunch in the park – I thought that was a little weird and low-key for an anniversary celebration, but it was something about finding the nearest rosebush… or something. Anyway, I was at a very different place in my life. We had just lost Lilia… Mikhail and I were drifting apart, we just couldn't stand being together and thinking of what we'd lost. Your mom was amazing that day. I… I was talking to her about Lilia, and I just… fell apart. When your dad got there, they canceled their lunch plans, despite my protests. Harm left; and Mac sat there with me for hours, just listening.'

Lisa made a soft sound, remembering. 'I hadn't seen your mom in years, and I had only just met Harm, but somehow I felt so comfortable with them. So, anyway, I went back to New York, and we kept in touch now and then, mostly by email. Remember when I told you that a friend got me interested in working with young people?'

Katie nodded her affirmation. 'That was my mom?'

Lisa nodded in response. 'Yep, that was your mom. Until I moved here last year, we hadn't seen each other since that day in the park, but we've been there for each other. Not often, but when we needed each other, we knew we had each other's back. And that's why she confided in me about you.'

Katie shifted uneasily. 'What did she say about me?'

'Your parents love you very, very much, you know that. They love you unconditionally, for who you are. The biggest reason they wanted you to come here was because they acknowledge your talents and want to encourage you to keep developing them. But there was another reason – at home, you're very open and expressive with everyone – I've witnessed that for myself. But here, with these kids, you're very quiet – almost withdrawn at times.'

Katie nodded. 'I've always been that way.'

'I know, and I understand why. You have a more introverted personality, but that's only part of it. With your family and close friends, there's a level of comfort and trust that doesn't exist when you're with other people, especially people you don't know all that well. So you find it harder to speak up, and to stand up for yourself. '

Katie nodded silently. She was beginning to understand. 'So, my victory today was standing up to Christine and Reese?'

'Absolutely. But it's more than that – you handled the situation, you didn't let those poisonous words break you down… and you let them know how you felt. You were brave, you asserted yourself, even though you were hurt and it would have been much easier to just fade off into the shadows. And sticking up for yourself and for what is right, for what you believe in, is something you needed to do; something you will learn to do even more. The art world can be vicious – you need to be prepared to deal with that, and that was something your parents were hoping that you'd learn here. I'm proud of you – and I know your mom and dad will be proud of you too. You should feel good about yourself.'

Katie gave a small smile. 'I probably shouldn't have threatened them, though.'

Lisa shrugged. 'Yeah… but just between you and me, though, they deserved it. You did good today.' She rose to her feet and walked around her table to give Katie a warm hug.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Your reviews always make me sooo happy!_

_Later that night…_

'Okay, where are we?' Mac asked, running her hands down her face. She and Harm had been talking for a long while, but they were no closer to a resolution.

'We can't bring her back,' Harm said, pacing the room, 'it would send all the wrong messages.'

'Yeah,' Mac said in agreement, 'but what if something else goes wrong? I mean, Lisa's a good friend, but if they can keep confidential files in a place where they can be easily accessed, who knows what else could go wrong?'

'We can't blame Lisa for this,' Harm responded. 'She had no reasonable expectation that any of those kids would be capable of doing what they did.'

Mac nodded. 'You're right….'

'We could go check on her, see how she's doing,' Harm said.

'Camp is ending in just three days. Going to check on her would be for our sakes, not hers. It would give her the impression that we think she can't handle something like this. Besides, the girls who said those awful things to her will be gone in the morning. Lisa says that even if they'd been allowed to stay, they would still have insisted on leaving.'

'Yeah, I guess camp is only fun for them as long as they're picking on someone,' Harm commented sarcastically. He sighed. 'I can't believe this happened. I knew something was going to go wrong out there.'

'You make it sound like she's out in the wild,' Mac said.

'Well, in some ways, she is. She's had her fair share of problems with other kids at school, but they've always been minor. Generally speaking, she's always been so well liked… the other kids always end up being sort of protective towards her. This is the first time she's experienced something like this from other kids.'

Mad nodded. 'Yes, but we agreed that she needed to learn to stand up for herself, to deal with tough situations on her own, and that's exactly what she's doing right now.'

'Yeah, but I hate to think of her getting hurt like that.'

'Me too… but it was bound to happen sometime,' Mac sighed.

'What I'd like to know is how the drama coach just stood by and let this happen.'

'According to Lisa, he was stunned at first,' Mac shrugged, 'and then he wanted to intervene quietly, without creating a scene.'

'Sounds like a lame excuse to me.'

'Come on, Harm,' Mac urged, 'cut the guy some slack. It's thanks to him that we even know how bad things were getting over there. Besides, teenage girls can be hard to handle.' She fell into a long silence before speaking again. 'You know what this is, Harm? Karma.'

'Huh?'

Mac shook her head. 'I've never really told you about this, but I wasn't exactly the nicest kid in high school. Especially to girly, goody two-shoes girls. I got along with guys better… I felt they were easier to understand and deal with, and I guess part of it was because I was seeking the male approval I couldn't get at home. Other girls just made me feel inadequate and uncomfortable, and I just thought it was the "cool" thing back then to put them down.' She sighed. 'It's hard to think Katie's getting a dose of the same treatment I used to hand out.'

'That's not what this is about, Mac,' Harm said, shaking his head, 'and you know it. Besides, you were hurt and may have been lashing out, but you don't have a deliberately cruel bone in your body. You'd never have told anyone they'd basically be better off dead.'

'Of course not,' Mac agreed, 'it wasn't _that_ extreme, but I _was _pretty mean. I remember this one girl, Marla… I have no idea why, but all she wanted was to be my friend…. I didn't understand why, and I guess part of me just didn't trust her intentions. I mocked her, pushed her away, until she finally just gave up and stopped talking to me. And my crappy home situation is no excuse for my behavior back then. Things were bad for me, but Katie's lived through much worse – and she still has the kindest heart you could ever hope to find.'

'She does – she's an amazing girl.'

'Yes, she is.'

Harm finally stopped pacing and sat down, grasping his wife's hand. 'I'm so proud of her for standing up to those bullies. She's stronger than we gave her credit for. That's our little girl, Mac.'

Mac had tears glistening in her eyes as she reflected on Harm's words. She was thinking back to Katie's first year with her new family. For several agonizingly long weeks, their daughter hadn't uttered a single word to anyone but Jack. She wouldn't even talk to the Russian-speaking counselor they'd found. She would whisper words of fear and distrust to Jack when she thought no one was watching, but that was it. The day Mac handed her an apple and received a soft "Spasibo" in response, the first thing Katie had ever said to anyone except Jack, Mac had struggled to maintain her composure. 'Ne za chto, Yekaterina,' she had replied, calmly, trying to act like it was no big deal. Later that night, she had wept in Harm's arms, her gratitude overwhelming.

For months, Katie flinched and trembled when she was hugged. She was terrified of physical contact… Harm had learned quickly not to get too close to her. The level of fear and trauma she displayed when he came too near was deeply disturbing and hurtful to him. The first time she put her little arms around Harm's neck, he hadn't been able to hold back his tears.

For years, Katie had nightmares almost every night, calling out and crying in her sleep. She would wet her bed and then scramble to hide the evidence, petrified of being punished. She would hide beneath her bed when anything frightened her, quivering in fear until one of her parents found her. Like Jack had done before her, for a very long time she would eat furtively, almost guiltily, sneaking away bits of food to hide underneath her mattress and between her sheets. It didn't seem to matter how many times Harm and Mac told them they would always have enough food; it took them years to accept it.

'Yes, that's our little Katie,' Mac said now, thinking back on how far Katie had come, how far they'd all come.

Harm's eyes were suspiciously moist too. 'Except she's not quite so little anymore.'


	6. Chapter 6

_Three days later…._

It was the last day of camp, and Katie was feeling good. Good, but emotional. She was looking forward to seeing her family again, but she was going to miss Camp Lilia, the lessons she'd learned and the friends she'd made. As she walked through camp for the last time, hugging friends and thanking counselors and coaches, she knew that memories of the last two weeks would linger for a very long time.

Carmen walked up to her and gave her a warm hug. 'So your brother's _really_ not coming?' she teased.

Katie laughed. 'You just don't give up, do you?'

'No, I don't. And now you owe me – we _have_ to get together again so that I can meet the amazing Jack.'

'Just so you can meet Jack?' Katie teased.

'Oh okay, it'll be nice to see you again too,' Carmen retorted, 'you're not so bad, Katya.'

'Neither are you, Carmen. Text me when you get home.'

'I will.'

As Carmen moved on to talk to another friend, Katie spotted Shane, the drama coach. She thought about the silly fantasy she'd entertained of him confessing his romantic feelings to her on the last day of camp. She knew it wasn't going to happen, and she had come to realize over the past week that what she felt for Shane really was just a crush, one that would fade with time. She still thought he was great-looking, and smart and charismatic, but the personal attachment she had formed in her head was already fading away.

'Hi Shane,' she said, as she approached him, holding out her hand.

He took it and shook it. 'Good luck, Katya. You have natural talent – keep working at it.'

'Thanks Shane, I will.'

Later, she would wonder if was a moment of madness, or the newly-discovered courage that the incident with her tormentors had brought to the fore, or maybe just the fact that she knew she probably would not see Shane again. Whatever it was, after standing there silently for a moment, she went for it. 'You know something, Shane? I really liked you,' she asked.

'Thanks,' Shane replied, looking slightly uncomfortable, 'I like you too. I like all of you kids.'

Katie shook her head. 'No, I mean, I _liked you_ liked you.'

Shane paused. 'Okay… what's with the past tense? Did I do something wrong?'

'No, I guess I just… wised up and realized there wasn't really a future there.'

'Uh, Katya…'

'Don't say anything,' she cut in quickly, 'Forget I said any of that. Anyway, I've got to go. My folks will be here any minute.'

She started to back away, thinking to herself that she must've completely lost her mind, when Shane spoke up again. 'Hey Katya, you're really talented and beautiful and someday –'

'And someday I'm going to meet the right guy and he'll make me very happy, _blah blah_,' Katie completed, rolling her eyes. 'I know the drill, Shane – I just… I guess I just wanted you to know.'

'That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say that someday you'll be incredibly accomplished and respected, and I'll be very proud to have witnessed some small part of your growth.'

Katie looked down at her feet. 'Thanks.' Impulsively, she went on, 'You know, my big sister Mattie met her husband at camp.'

Shane grinned. 'I'll bet she wasn't fifteen when that happened.'

Katie smiled back. 'I'm _sixteen_. But yeah, I get your point. I just – well, I want you know that I won't forget you.'

'Yes you will,' Shane negated softly, with a rueful smile.

'Wait and see,' Katie replied, 'I'm going to mention you in an interview someday. "The drama coach I had a secret crush on" – or at least it _was_ secret until I told you about it'. A smile spread across her face as she saw a familiar vehicle enter the campsite. 'Anyway, my mom and dad are here. Bye Shane.'

'Goodbye Katya. Listen, maybe we should exchange email addresses or something. I mean, you never know – '

Katie thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. Some things were better left alone. 'I have to go.'

As she backed away, waving, Shane hastily said, 'Well, at least take mine, it's - '

Katie missed the rest as she ran towards her parents' car, pretending not to hear Shane. Something about the idea of maintaining contact with him, even if it was just harmless emails, made her uneasy. She exchanged long hugs with her parents as they stepped out on to the campsite. Questions and answers ran into one another as they talked.

'Who's that guy you were talking to?' Harm asked, as soon as the usual enquiries were out of the way.

Katie rolled her eyes. 'Don't start, Daddy. That was just the drama coach. You and Mom met him on the first day, remember? The Australian guy.'

Harm's eyes narrowed. 'Yeah, but I don't recall him being quite so young.'

Katie laughed. 'Daddy! Let's get out of here, you guys. I've missed you so much, and I have so much to tell you.'

_A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. This is the end of the story, but there will be a short epilogue._


	7. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

_Six months later_

It was a busy Tuesday morning, like many others, with everyone in the house preparing for work or school. Harm and Mac sat at the kitchen table. He was scanning the paper, and she was checking the day's mail. Katie and Matt were still upstairs.

Mac flipped through the usual assortment of bills, invites and junk mail. She was surprised to find an envelope with Lisa Jacobsen's name and address on the back; Lisa typically contacted her by email and the occasional phone call. She opened the envelope to find a second envelope and a note from Lisa. She read the note first.

_Mac,_

_How are you and your clan? I hope Katie is well and continuing to make progress on all fronts. She is such a wonderful girl._

_I received this letter a few days ago from one of the campers, who asked me to read it and pass it on to Katie. All I can say is that it's a pleasant surprise._

_Let's get together for coffee sometime soon._

_Love, _

_Lisa_

'Katie,' Mac called, 'you have a letter!'

Katie rushed downstairs and exchanged greetings with her parents. She sat at the table and poured herself a glass of orange juice before picking up the envelope her mother slid across to her.

She opened it and skimmed its contents quickly. 'You'll never believe who this is from. It's Christine – from Camp Lilia.'

Harm and Mac exchanged looks of concern. 'Don't worry, you guys,' Katie said, watching their reaction, 'it's a really nice letter.'

'Would you like to read it to us?' Mac asked.

Katie cleared her thought and began.

_Dear Katya,_

_I'm sending this letter to Lisa Jacobsen, and I hope you get it someday. I know the last thing you want is a letter from me, but I spoke to my mom and she encouraged me to reach out to you. _

_I am writing to apologize for the horrible things I said to you at summer camp. It bothers me to know that you will probably always remember me as an insensitive bully. _

_There is no excuse for the things that I said, but I want you to know that I liked you and really wanted to be your friend. I guess I just didn't know how to talk to you, especially when I started hanging out with Reese. I really wanted her to like me, so I said and did things that I'm not proud of. I am so sorry._

_I want you to know that I am never going to do anything like that to anyone again._

_Christine_

'Wow,' Mac said, 'that's amazing, Katie.'

Harm nodded. 'Good job, Katie. You definitely left an impression on her.'

Katie smiled. 'I'm going to write back… just to let her know I forgive her.'

'That would be great,' Mac said, 'if you want to.'

'Just as long as you don't exchange any letters with the "amazing" Australian drama coach,' Harm muttered under his breath as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Mac hid a smile as Katie rolled her eyes. 'I can't believe you're still thinking about Shane. That's old news, Dad. Have I told you about our new art teacher at school? He's _gorgeous_.'

Harm looked horrified, and Katie and Mac laughed. 'You are way too easy, Harm,' Mac said.

'Ha ha,' Harm said sarcastically, 'not funny at all.' But he laughed too.


End file.
